Generally described, computer systems can utilize digital processing techniques to process audio data. As digital processing computer systems become more prominent and efficient, digital processing computer systems provide a possible alternative to traditional analog audio processing equipment. To assess whether a digital processing computer system can compete with traditional analog audio processing equipment, it is important to assess the performance of the digital processing computer system and make additional modifications to the system to improve performance.
One skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that digital processing techniques can introduce various digital signal processing attributes, such as audio signal processing latencies and/or software processing glitches, to an inputted digital audio signal. For example, some digital processing computer systems may introduce audio signal conversion processing attributes associated with converting an analog signal to a digital signal prior to processing the signal and/or converting the digital signal back an analog signal after the processing is complete. Additionally, some digital processing computer systems may also introduce audio signal processing attributes associated with buffering an incoming digital signal. Further, some digital processing computer systems may introduce other audio processing attributes, such as software latencies, associated with other delays/errors associated with the execution of audio processing software applications on the digital processing computer system.
One skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that one or more processing attributes associated with a particular digital processing computer system, such as the processing latencies, software latencies and the combination, may be unknown. In some instances, individual latencies may be tested, or otherwise measured, such as for latencies associated with a signal converter. In some instances, however, the audio processing attributes may be difficult to measure, such as software processing latencies. Further, individual testing of one or more latencies may not take into account any compound latencies associated with integrating multiple processing components on a digital processing computer system. Thus, there is a need for a system and method for measuring audio processing attributes for digital processing systems.